Garment-stretcher.



No. 673,l97. Patented Apr. 30. l90l. A. L. COLLINS.

GARMENT STRETCHER.

(Application filed Julie 30, 1900.

(No Model.)

6c INVENTOR a,

WITNESSES NITED STATES PATENT FFICE.

ARTHUR L. COLLINS, OF SGRANTON, PENNSYLVANIA.

GARMENT-STRETCHER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 673,197, dated April30, 1901.

Application filed June 30, 1900. Serial No. 22,114. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ARTHUR L. COLLINS, a citizen of the United States,residing at Scranton, in the county of Lackawanna and State ofPennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inGarment-Stretchers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to the class of devices designed for stretchingtrousers to prevent the bagging or set at the knees thereof; and thepurpose is to provide a simple, inexpensive,and compact foldingstretcher which will accomplish the object sought with perfectsatisfaction.

In the drawings which serve to illustratethe invention, Figure 1 is aperspective view of the stretcher, showing the garment clamped in it;and Fig. 2 is an edge view showing the stretcher folded and the garmentthereon stretched Fig. 3 shows one of the clampingarms detached. Fig. 4cis an enlarged view of the stretching roller or bar and illustrating thehinging of the clampingaru1s thereto. Fig. 5 illustrates a form ofthe-stretcher where there is an intermediate locking hinge or joint ineach flap to enable the stretcher to be folded up more compactly.

Referring primarily to Figs. 1 to 4, the stretcher comprises astretching roller or bar 1, with two clamping-flaps hinged thereto. Whenthe device is laid flat, the garment G, clamped therein, as seen in Fig.1, and the flaps folded, as seen in Fig. 2, the garment will be drawnover the bar 1 and stretched. The stretcher and garment, folded as inFig. 2, may be packed in a dressing-case, travel ing-bag or trunk, ifdesired.

Each flap of the stretcher consists of tw clam ping-arms 2,each of whichis formed, preferably, from a single piece of stout wire, Fig. 3, bentor folded at the middle, where a hinging-eye 3 is formed. The two armsforming a flap are connected by two clamp rods or bars at, which extendacross from one arm to the other and are fastened at their ends to theextremities of the corresponding branches of the arms, as clearly shown.It is convenient to make the bars 1 and 4 of wood and cylindrical inform, but this is not essential to the invention. The eyes 3 on the arms2 may be hinged on the stem of a screw-eye 5, driven into the end of thebar 1, as seen in Fig. 4, but

any suitable hinging screw or pin may be employed in lieu of ascrew-eye. The free end of each of the branches of the wire arm 2 mayhave ashort length or portion of the wire bent at a right angle to thearm and this portion be driven into the end of the bar 4: to form afastening.

The flaps are alike in construction; but one may be made a littleshorter than the other, so as to fold into the latter, and thus reducethe thickness in packing the stretchers for storage or shipment.

011 each arm 2 is a slide-ring 6, which when moved out along thebranches of the arm draws the latter together and causes the bars 4 toclamp the garment G tightly.

The operation has been sufliciently explained. It need only be said thatany garment or article may be stretched in the device either in a wet ordry state. If wet, it may be allowed to dry while stretched and smooth.

Fig. 5 shows a form of the stretcher where there isajoint in the fiap,sothat each flap may be folded at the middle for economy of space inpacking. In this construction the clamping-arm 2 ispivotally connectedor hinged at 7 to an arm 2, which latter is hinged to the bar 1. Thisarm 2 is here shown as of wire, with an eye to receive the hinge-pin at7 and a stirrup 8 formed in it to engage the arm 2 and prevent anyfiexure at the joint 7 while the garment is being stretched.

The arms 2 may be of ordinary heavy iron wire, which will have springenough to cause them to spring apart normally; but steel Wire would bepreferable. It is this construction of the arms 2, which carry theclamping-bars 4, of spring-wire, in one piece, of V form,with

the hinging-eye 3 produced therein at the bend, that forms the importantfeature of the invention so far as relates to cheapness and simplicityof construction and convenience in use.

I am aware that it is not new to form a clamp in a garment stretcher ofwooden clamping-frames hinged to the main frames; but these do notspring apart when released and have not the qualities. of simplicity andcheapness that reside in my stretcher.

Having thus described my invention, I claim 15 two spring wire arms 2,each formed by bending the wire at its middle and forming a hinging-eyeat the bend or bight where it is hinged to the said transverse bar,twobars 4,0f wood, said bars connecting the corresponding branches of therespective arms, and sliderings 5 on said branches, substantially as setforth.

In witness whereof I have hereunto signed my name, this 27th day ofJune, 1900, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ARTHUR L. COLLINS.

Witnesses:

WATSON BROWNING, J. LAWRENCE S'rELLE.

